Paul Pierce scored 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead his Boston Celtics past the LA Clippers 94-85 yesterday at Staples Center. The hard-fought victory came just one day after the club fell to the Lakers down the stretch in the same building. Last night’s contest featured tough play all around with five combined technicals called by the end of the first half.

“Once we settled into this game, we were more physical and pushed back, made it uncomfortable for them,” said Pierce. “We have to do it on a more consistent basis. We have to come out and throw the first punch…You could feel it in the atmosphere. It was a chippy game from the start.”

Kevin Garnett hit 8-of-16 from the field for 21 points while collecting 8 rebounds. Ray Allen netted 15 points and Rajon Rondo had 12 points and 10 assists for the C’s. Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 24 points and 9 boards. The Celtics will continue their eight-game road trip with games scheduled this week at Golden State, Sacramento and Denver.

Tags: Boston Celtics, NBA Basketball, Sports